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Chicago, IL

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Cook County Car Accidents Involving Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs

Drugged Driving

“Drugged driving” (also called “driving under the influence of drugs (DUID)”) has become a serious traffic safety issue for many reasons. There have been many recent Chicago-area accidents in which the driver has been under the influence of drugs. As well, the frequency of such accidents is notably high and has been increasing.

While there is a broad range of drugs that have been used in “drugged driving,” common drugs involved include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and meth. In addition to these illegal drugs, prescription drugs – used in proper or improper dosages – are often involved in such drug-impaired driving.

If multiple drugs are used at the same time – or a drug such as marijuana is used with alcohol – the interaction can be particularly powerful and intoxicating. Such “mixed-drug” use has been seen in many recent serious accidents.

With more states legalizing marijuana and record numbers of people dying from drug overdoses, concerns about drug-impaired driving are escalating. While we have made progress in combatting drunk driving in recent decades, drug use by drivers continues to rise. In fact, in 2015 (the most recent national data available) drugs were present in 43% of the fatally-injured drivers with known test results, appearing more frequently than alcohol.

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“As drunk driving has declined, drugged driving has increased dramatically and many of today’s impaired drivers are combining two or more substances, which has a multiplicative effect on driver impairment,” said Ralph. S. Blackman, President and CEO of Responsibility.org. “We are pleased to partner with GHSA to fill a critical gap. These training grants will prepare law enforcement to detect drug-impaired drivers and make roads safer for us all.”

In 2005 drugs were present in 27.8% of the fatally-injured drivers with known test results; this increased to 32.8% in 2009 and (as stated above) 43% in 2015 (page 9)

As seen on page 12 of the report, regarding the effects of marijuana on driving: “In experimental settings, marijuana impairs psychomotor skills and cognitive functions associated with driving, including vigilance, time and distance perception, lane tracking, motor coordination, divided attention tasks, and reaction time (Capler et al., 2017; Compton and Berning, 2015; Hartman and Huestis, 2013; Kelley-Baker, 2014). Drivers may attempt to compensate by driving more slowly and increasing their following distance (Hartman and Huestis, 2013).”

Additional details concerning drug use and impaired driving can be seen in the press release and report mentioned above.

Currently, there are no drug field tests comparable to a preliminary alcohol screening using a breathalyzer. Law enforcement officials are trained to recognize signs of drug impairment and can make the decision to take a driver into custody for further testing.

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The report acknowledged that “many officers are not trained to identify the signs and symptoms of drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol.” The International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offer specialized training courses to teach law enforcement officials how to recognize the behavioral signs of drug impairment, but the courses are not required. Often, a full evaluation cannot be done during a roadside stop.

Cook County Accident Involving Drug-Impaired Drivers

There are various notable Cook County accidents that have involved driving under the influence of drugs.

Another such accident happened on March 29, 2017. This accident was discussed in the Chicago Sun-Times article of April 2, 2017, titled “Man charged with drugged driving following crash in Riverside” concerning the accident and the driver of the car, Michael Mola, 60, of Oak Brook. An excerpt from that article:

The investigation revealed that Mola had driven to Berwyn to visit a friend and snorted heroin with his friend’s adult daughter. Mola admitted to snorting the heroin and taking Vicodin that was not prescribed to him, police said.

On December 18, 2016 there was an accident in Prospect Heights, in which a driver allegedly overdosed on heroin and “rear-ended” another car. According to Prospect Heights Police, the accident happened Sunday at Palatine Road near Milwaukee Avenue. That accident is further discussed in the December 20, 2016 post titled “Accidents Involving Drug Use By Driver.”

A July 5, 2016 fatal crash in Chicago’s Brighton Park neighborhood also allegedly involved alcohol and drug use by the driver prior to the crash. That accident is discussed in the July 9, 2016 post titled “Drug Use Before Driving.” As seen in that post, a woman allegedly was impaired after drinking and drug use (PCP) prior to crashing at a high speed.

Another crash allegedly involving drug use was a fatal car accident in Chicago’s Norwood Park neighborhood on the night of January 18, 2016. This crash, which is said to involve drinking, pot smoking and the use of muscle relaxers is discussed in the January 21, 2016 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “No bond for driver charged with DUI in fatal NW side crash.”

Other Accidents Involving Drug-Impaired Driving

One such hazard of drug-impaired driving is that other road users, such as motorcyclists and bicyclists, are likely more difficult for the impaired driver to “see” and safely interact with on the road.

Doris D. Fisher, 46, of the 400 block of West Cook Street was arrested on suspicion of DUI after the accident on North Dirksen Parkway about 1:50 a.m. Saturday.

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Fisher was under the influence of prescription medications at the time of the crash, the sheriff’s office said. She was also cited for driving without insurance and failing to yield at an intersection.

Should You Be Injured By A Drug-Impaired Driver

In accidents where the injury was the fault of another person or entity, many people seek compensation through the filing of a personal injury lawsuit. This is especially so in accident injuries in which there are long-term impairments and other types of permanent injuries.

Depending upon the characteristics of an accident, there are many types of expenses that can be incurred from any resulting injuries and permanent impairments. Typically, medical bills may be (very) high, especially if the injured person does not have health insurance to pay for medical bills. Even for those people who have insurance, bills can be substantial, as many aspects of medical care, including diagnostic tests, medical procedures, surgeries, and various types of rehabilitation tend to be expensive. Further increasing out-of-pocket medical costs are:

insurance deductibles

medical costs that aren’t covered by insurance

paramedic and ambulance fees, if applicable

Given these medical costs – as well as other direct and indirect costs discussed below -compensation sought in these lawsuits can include many different types. Compensation types can include (but are not limited to) that for:

Medical costs (past, current and future)

Pain and suffering

Disability

Disfigurement

Loss of function

Lost wages

Loss of consortium

Other economic damages

The Elman Law Group, Illinois personal injury trial lawyers, can provide an overview as to what types of compensation – as well as what amounts – may be reasonably expected given the specific characteristics of the accident, the injuries, and the overall legal and medical situations.

If you were injured in an accident, call Tony Elman, Lead Trial Attorney at the Elman Law Group, at (773) 392-8182 to discuss the accident and see what legal actions – including the filing of a lawsuit – may be appropriate. This discussion is provided free of charge and is confidential in nature.

Elman Law Group, LLC has been handling Illinois personal injury cases for 25+ years, and during this time has handled over 10,000 personal injury cases. Through this extensive experience, the Elman Law Group has built a reputation for its court trial performance. As seen in many of its cases, this successful trial experience may (substantially) increase potential accident injury compensation.

Elman Law Group, LLC handles cases on a “contingency” basis…clients are not charged legal fees unless and until they get money.